There are Buyers’ Markets, Sellers’ Markets, Neutral Markets and Down Markets in Real Estate. If you are a Seller in today’s market or any other market, you want the highest possible sales price no matter which type of market it is, with the least hassles and the shortest time on the market. To make that happen, your home must up there with the ‘best’ on the market in your neighborhood at the time you wish to sell.

There are buyers for ‘Fixer Uppers’ but they are usually contractors and flippers who never pay full asking price for a property. If you need a new roof, they will not only discount your asking price by the cost of replacing the roof but they will discount more just for the inconvenience and to make sure they will make a profit when they sell your house. The roof repair and all the other upgrades needed must return a profit on the contractor/flipper’s investment, therefore, they are not your ideal buyer if you are hoping for a fair-market-value sales price.

So how do you determine what enhancements need to be done with your home to get the very highest price? First call us and we will do a complete market analysis of all the sales and the current homes for sale and show those to you. Ask us for information (that you can’t see on all those real estate sites) about the current homes for sale in your neighborhood. The websites can’t see inside the home or in the fenced yards – we can.

You want to compare ‘apples-to-apples’. If your neighbor is selling his home with a pool and built-in backyard kitchen and your home doesn’t have those features, he/she will be able to ask and get a higher price for his/her home (all other amenities in the two homes being equal).

Staging your home to reflect the amenities that shine throughout your home is your best bet. The first thing is a complete cleaning of your home and yard. Getting rid of the clutter is half the battle.

Take all the personal things and pack them away (example: pictures on the wall or table tops of your family – the buyer needs to imagine his/her family in your home.)

The kitchen and bathrooms are the two rooms that sell homes. Clean them to perfection. Clean out the closets and cupboards so that it doesn’t appear that there isn’t enough storage space.

Freshen your home – if walls need painting, do that.

If carpets or other flooring need to be replaced, do that. If your house looks like it isn’t cared for, the buyer may think that there are too many negatives (and wonder what else is wrong with the house) and will walk out the door without making an offer.

Your yard must reflect the buyer’s idea of a relaxing and pretty space. Some potted flowers, cleaned up yard, and keeping the lawn mowed will go a long way.

Remember, it’s no longer your home, it’s a product that you are selling and to do that, you must convince the buyers that this is the home they can’t live without.

We often receive calls or emails from a new buyer asking us what they should know about the differences of living in a big city and moving to and living in a small town/rural community. They all say they need to get out of the ‘rat race’, traffic, crowds and find a place where they will have more time for things they enjoy.

There are differences. If you are looking in a rural area for a full-time home, a vacation home or wanting to purchase something now to use when you retire, those are things that need to factor into your decisions also.

Water:

There are areas that have city water, and areas where the property will have a well. We always recommend that a well be tested; not only for contaminants, sediment, and chemicals, but also for the amount of water the well pumps. Your water well pump is run on electricity.

Sewer Systems:

Rural property may not be hooked up to a city sewer system. In cases like that, you will rely on a septic system that collects wastewater and sewage. Testing will also need to be done to determine how many occupants the system can serve. If you were going to build on to the home, you would also need to know the answer to the number of occupants the system could handle.

Electricity:

Electricity is generally run to the home unless you purchase a home that is off the grid. A power generator is something some residents rely on during bad storms when the electricity goes out.

Road Costs:

There are city roads and county roads maintained by the city and/or county. There are also private roads. One example of a private road would be one that leads from the county road up to your home and perhaps your neighbor’s homes. In a case like that, you and your neighbors may share the cost of maintaining the road.

Trash Removal:

You may have to cart your trash cans down a long driveway or private road to the public road; gather and take your trash to the dump, or burn some of it. Be sure you are clear which ways you will manage your trash.

There are so many advantages to living in this area of Northern California. We want to make sure you understand and have the needed inspections done on the property you are considering.

We live in the rural areas near Nevada City and Penn Valley so we will be able to help you understand the benefits and the changes you will face when you purchase your new home here. We are here to help.

I feel so blessed to have my son, Laif, join The Margaretich Team. His strong background in real estate (since 2005) as well as 8 years in the construction field before that, make him a perfect business partner. He was a partner in a real estate brokerage in Santa Cruz and learned all the ins and outs of the real estate market and running a business and got his Broker’s license in 2016.

What a treat to have Laif, his wife Brittany and their sons here to share this great lifestyle in the Sierra Nevada foothills. It’s wonderful to have them so close along with our other children and grandchildren in Lake Tahoe. It makes for very happy family holidays.

So many people are finding that the slower pace and beautiful scenery here in our area creates a perfect place to live. Laif is someone you should talk to about all the recreational opportunities right here in Nevada County. His active family enjoys biking, snowboarding, wrenching on his rock crawler, boating and dirt biking.